There are some places that every wine lover should visit. These places might be where grapes are grown, wine cellars or industries where your drink is made. It doesn’t matter which one it is, as long as you learn about the culture and history. After all, wine isn’t only about drinking. The best part is knowing all the fascinating things it took to get that drink made and served to you. That is the real magic.
But Loire Valley will provide you with much more than just historical facts. You will be in the sense of awe that you will never be able to escape as long as you are there. But even after you get home, you will still have the taste of those tasted wines lingering in your mouth.
Where is Loire Valley?
The most important part is, of course, the location. After all, you need to know where you should buy that plane ticket.
Well, to no other place than the home of traditional wine. France. More specifically, it is the line between the southern and northern side of the country. Loire Valley spans across 280 kilometers, right along the Loire River, which means that it covers up a huge piece of land. Because of this you likely can’t see everything with just one trip, but there are several historic towns within worth seeing.
These famous towns are Amboise, Angers, Blois, Chinon, Montsoreau, Orléans, Saumur, and Tours. All of them are unique, even when compared to each other, so they should be your primary goals to visit.
But generally, many exciting facts play into the climate (which is the main reason why this area is so famous for its’ grapes). First of all, since it’s mostly in the central part of France, the temperature is almost always great for growing anything. This is crucial for the grapes because this way, the farmers can have a harvest season twice a year. But two more things play into the climate: the river and the Atlantic ocean. Check out “Best Grapes for Making Wine” to see the grapes involved in making these bottles of wine.
The Loire River raises the temperature by a couple of degrees, which makes spring a slightly warmer season than it originally would be. But the Atlantic regulates it just enough so that it doesn’t get too hot there during the summer.
What Makes Loire Valley a Must-Visit Destination For Every Wine Lover?
1. Drop your jaw at the sight of beautiful views
This isn’t why people visit this place, of course. But it still plays a huge part when it comes to surprising the tourists.
The land itself isn’t as exciting as you would hope it is. There are not many elevated areas, so most of the time, you will only see your immediate surroundings. But the towns are all the more amazing. They give the valley that special vibe people always talk about.
The architecture is mostly from the renaissance, which means that literally, everything will make your jaw drop. The most beautiful buildings are the castles, like the ones from Angers and Chambord. Both of them are huge, and must-see sights that every wine lover should never miss if they ever visit Loire Valley.
2. Go to wineries
This should be one thing that you do at all costs. After all, Loir[e Valley is famous for its’ grapes and wines; therefore, you need to attend a tour at a cellar or a winery.
We chose a tour at Pierre et Bertrand Couly, which is a quite small winery, but unique nonetheless. It offers attendees a chance to try their wines and a tour in their cellar. This is quite short, but in the end, you will be able to taste some of their most popular drinks (which includes grape juices for anyone under the age of 18). If you ask nicely enough then they will probably give you a taste of their grapes as well.
3. Visit castles
We know that this isn’t part of the wine culture, but since this special alcoholic drink was originally for the people who were better off, then it might be a good idea to see what their life was like. If you visit a castle, then you will receive some insight into their whole lifestyle.
But that also includes their drinking. Consuming alcoholic beverages was a much different event back then, which is why it is nice to know about. You can learn about all the ways they drank, everything they paired their drinks with and you can sometimes even find an exciting brand of wine.
The latter happens when you pay attention to the names that are often mentioned within the castle because there is a good chance that someone from the royal family started or at least funded a winery. What could be better than traditional royal wine?
4. Taste as many wines as you possibly can
In most places, you can get a glass of wine just for tasting, which is a pretty cheap thing but gives you a ton of opportunities. So in the end, who cares? The idea is: you need to use the time you spend in France wisely. You can’t spend all day every day there for the rest of your life (probably), so if your goal is to taste wines, then take every chance you get.
Go at it. Buy those pretty cheap wines at supermarkets and look into wineries to get a taste of their products. And buy what you like. Don’t be afraid to spend it because you will not be able to avoid it. So you might as well enjoy it and not stress yourself out because of the money.
Check out “Beginner Wines that You Need to Try” and add some wines to your list that we think you will truly like.
Loire Valley is a must-visit destination for every wine lover. If you like architecture, wine or want to spend time in historical places, these are all available if you visit them. Although wine lovers will most definitely get more out of this experience than others. After all, it is the home of wine. And there is no denying that.
Do you want to visit Loire Valley? Which part of it exactly? Tell us down in the comments! Be sure to also check out “10 Best International Wine Festivals You Shouldn’t Miss” and see what other wine events you could attend this year.
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